Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-27

Elma Griffin Ayvak ened i'm Her Coffir
by Her Lovers Caress.

Elma Griffin Awake ned i'm Her Coffin
| by Her Lovers Caress.
From the San Francisco Examiner.
"Elma Griffin, died April Ii, ls49 aged nineteen
years, four months, and six days"
Inc words were engraved upon a silver plate
but there was no coffin under them. Mrs Purroy,
an elderly lady, visiting friends living on Clinton
avenue, Alameda, but whose home is In Brooklyn.
| n. L., looked with an air OF mingled pride and
reverence upon the carving, for her name was
once Ema Griffin, and the cof1in was made to hold
her remains
ION my nineteenth birthday" she said, my
mother invited party OF acquaintance to our
mouse to celebrate the day. We lived some dis
lance outside OF Williamsburgh, as it was then,
Oh my friends remembered this as she was about
to start for her home with her brOt her and she
laus ningly congratulated me on being housed al
Ieduy ana having no occasion to brave the swamp.
l was a Wild young girl in those days, and de-
Cared at once that would go with them and re-
me except the girls brother. We started. and
when We reached my friends house was con-
sflous lhat my feet were quite wet, and that q
u i:s cn!ll had crept over me, but de-
clined an invitation TO go In and went away at
once. OF course, Robbie brother, mean-came
Win IN me, ana somehow forgot the cold and damp
81 think we must have talked for q long time as
We stood on my uncles doorstep. for suddenly
hoo-uly escort, mean-Said: 'Elma, your face is
very pale. Have kept you standing here too
long? he talked to me for ten minutes after that,
ana then wished me good night and left me.
rang the bell, and when my mother opened the
door told her what might have known an hour
s91 500 81, mao given 1t thought that was re-
any Ill Sne hurried me to bed Immediately and
Wnen sne came to call me the following morning
she looked very anxious By noon was derious,
put could near the doctor tell my mother / had
typhoid fever, and that he could not hold out much
nope Tor my recovery. ] knew that my mother
T sSn M1dse dp but was always selfish girl and
RoOert? and they told me, hardly thinking that
heard them, that Robert had been suddenly called
upon 10 start for California early that morning,
and mad not even heard OF my illness He sent
letter 10 me, however, but did not see 1t until
many weeks later.
Sc grew rapidly worse and gradually the knowl-
euge OF an outward things passed from me. /
fancy that had a ain-consciouSness but not
Dtlhs, IN which the person acting and speaking
always strangely Speaking-waS myself, and yet
not myself Then came an utter blank, from
which awoke, after nearly three weeks OF OBJ
nvion, 10 see my mother and the doctor standing
by my bedside. The doctor said the crisis was
feel any interest in what he was talking about
ine quiet days OF cOnvalescence followed, and
tne doctor, seeing that was very weak, regarded
me seriously, and warned my mother that re-
lapse should be carefully guarded against. used
at that time, TOO to fall into curious physical
knew all that was going on around me, but from
WHICH Old not seen TO care TO arouse myself by
moving or speaking. These periods lasted longer
and longer but they were not observed, and they
were rather pleasant than otherwise / said moth
ing about them.
.'One morning awoke from what seemed to be
natural Sleep and lay with my eyes closed listen
Ing To sounds that l could not at first interpret;
but slowly the knowledge came to me that my
Eiother was sObbing beside my bed l tried to ask
her why she was grieytnS, but could not move or
speak The trance was upon HE. / was sensitive,
substance and not upon the comfortable mattress
on IEy bed. IcOuld feel, too, very little covering
over NE, and despite my eyelids being down the
gloomy darkness or the room could be detected.
Where in the world have they carried me to-?
thought.
Presently heard my mothers voice, and 1
knew that she was speaking to my cousin Mary,
who was staying in the house with us.
Poor Ellna, she said 4 was so sure that God
dreadful illness only die quietly in her sIeep at
last 1t is very hard, Mary.
really die OF horror at that moment, as realized
like a lightning flash that they thought l was
dead and had put me into my coffin. They were
going to bury me! strove hard to speak, but the
sphinx was not more dumb than 1. tried to stir,
but the rock OF Gibraltar might have moved as
easily. Must my life be smOthered out in a grave
thought
at is hard, indeed. dear aunt replied Mary,
The undertaken will close the coffin In a few min
here?'
az hardly think so now,' answered my mother,
YEARLY. something must have happened to de-
lay him. He was TO have arrived at home yester-
day, but he did not come, and l postponed the
Poor fellow! The news will nearly Kill him.
There Is one person in the world, think, who
loved poor Elma as dearly as did,"
''Oh, Robert, Robert i cried, with a silent
voice, come quickly. II you look at me you Will
know am not dead
II heard a knock at the bedroom door, Was 1T
Robert? No. II was only the undertaken.
MAY close ii now, ladies?" he asked, In pro-
feSSlondlly mOurnful but very buSineSS-like tones
Nobody but myself knew that my heart was
beating, and even l hardly knew 1t as the under
taker spoke. A second aIterward 1t seemed to Inc
that IL tnrobbed loud enough for every one TO hear
it, Tor somebody rang the door bell and knew as
We'll that II was Robert as though my sealed eyes
could have looked through brick and wood and
mortar 10 See Tim standing outside. Softly and
quietly he entered the room; graVely and calmly
he asked my mother and my cousin to leave him
for few minutes alone with his dead. He closed
the door after they had gone out, and, STOPPING
over the comm, gently kissed me- Then he started,
heard the quick, nervous movement, and knew
that was saved.
'.He hastily called my mother and the doctor
was quickly summoned. He saw at once that life
Was not extinct, though he had been Just e. posi-
i've Tour days earlier that was quite dead.
MY husband declareS-an Old woman may say
1t noW-that Dlushed and smiled when he kissed
Inc. AT all events l lived TO marry him, and he
would not part with that silver coffin plate Tor ten
times Its weight in gold"